I’m waking up this morning in Gananoque (ga-nan-KNOCK-way) in a four post bed. It’s ostentatious. It’s the exact opposite of every stay Michel and I have ever booked on our way home to New Brunswick.
The 1,000 Islands Bed & Breakfast was a Michel find. He convinced me that on the return trip we always drive through. We can afford the nicer stop on the way down.
Our vacation is one week. We will drive over 3,000 km by September 1. We know it is a lot but flying is expensive and doesn’t get us close to where our families live.
Last week we were gathering gear, cleaning bikes and planning cycling routes. Then Michel looked at me and said “What if we left the bikes behind?”
Huh.
What if we left the bikes behind?
We had both assumed cycling had to be the center of our activities over our vacation.
Huh.
Then we talked through what we enjoyed the most from vacations over the past couple years. Time together. Traveling light. Being spontaneous.
It then became clear, less stuff, less structure, more fucking chill. Like. Way more chill. Still more. Almost chill enough. There it is. Very. Fucking. Chill.
We need sleep and rest and recovery.
So we are tucking some dumbbells in the trunk.
We can keep our Peloton strength training going. It’s an app and I often just work out in my underwear. Super classy! Also very chill.
The rest of the week, when driving, we are looking for waterfalls that are short walks. It served us great in Iceland last year. We’d whisper “foss” (Icelandic for “falls”) and point. It was silly and wonderful. We need more of both.
Four years ago we made it our mission to hike all the trails near McAdam NB. The shortest one was Schribner Brook Falls. It was a pullover and park with a, maybe five minute walk? It was a magical little stop.
So the cycling stuff is in London and that feels like a good choice this week.
So here is to a week of weights, walks and waterfalls with a giant serving of chill.
